Army vet learns his lost service dog is safe

Tampa, Florida -- Hearing 7-year Army veteran Luke Macner on the phone could bring a smile to any face.

"I am totally ecstatic! I could ... if I could, If I had two legs, I'd do a back flip!"

But just days ago, his life seemed so bleak.

"I'm lost without the dog. I really am."

His beloved Nina has been his constant companion after losing his leg. Nina, a German Shepard/Rotweiller Mix, had gone missing after a car accident. But the pain of a broken collar bone didn't compare-to the pain in his heart.

"Please, let somebody find you and please bring you back to me," Macner said at the time.

Tonight, that plea was answered.

"I think it's miraculous! I don't know how the dog found me!" said Amy Abdnour.

Amy was just walking around some property she owns in South Tampa when she came across Nina. After caring for Nina, feeding and playing with her in the forest, a woman in public recognized the animal.

"A lady said, 'Do you know this dog has been on the news?'" Abdnour said.

And the rest is history. A call to the Humane Society got Amy in touch with Luke.

"It's amazing he has a guardian angel waiting here … it's a miracle she didn't get hit by cars or trains … I think it's a miracle!"

Luke still has a long road to recovery ahead with lots of physical therapy. But he says knowing, just knowing, where Nina is, is enough to carry him through until he's released from the hospital.

Nina still needs to go through microchip testing to confirm her identity, but once that's finished, Luke says the Hillsborough Humane Society has stepped up to offer Nina a full set of official service dog attire.